Rack attachment for folding tables



June 2, 1953 R. J. SHANAHAN 2,640,749

RACK ATTACHMENT FOR FOLDING TABLES Filed Oct. 14, 1949 Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 14, 1949, Serial No. 121,323

1 Claim. (Cl. 311103) This invention relates in general to racks and more particularly to a novel form of rack which may be attached to an article of furniture for the purpose of receiving and holding articles, such as tumblers, ash trays and the like.

While the invention has many and varied applications, it is particularly disclosed herein as being applied to a bridge table. It is common knowledge that when refreshments are served during a bridge game, these refreshments which may include glasses or tumblers and the like must be placed on the table and are, therefore, susceptible to being knocked over and broken by a person shuflling or dealing the cards. It is a well recognized fact that considerable space on a bridge table is used for the placement thereon of such glasses and ash trays, leaving a small amount of space in which to play bridge.

The present invention is designed to overcome these objections and difiiculties by providing a device in the form of a thin plate adapted to be secured,or-mounted, on each corner of the bridge table so that glasses, ash trays and the like may be received and held in openings therein rather than being placed on the table. The device is so designed that it may become a permanentpart of the table and may be folded out of the Way when not in use and may be brought into position for use and supported in that position.

In view of the foregoing it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel form of receptacle for glasses and the like which may be readily attached to an article of furniture, such as a table.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptable adapted to receive and hold glasses and the like which may be attached to an article of furniture, such as a table, and which is provided with mounting means whereby it may be folded out of the way when not in use but may be moved into position for use and supported in that position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle in the form of a thin plate, or disk, having a plurality of openings therethrough adapted to receive glasses, ash trays and the like, and wherein such plate may be mounted on an article of furniture for movement between one position for use and another position for nonuse.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of supporting means for the receptacle of the present invention whereby to permit the receptacle to be moved between the two extreme positions for use and non-use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reading the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a corner of a bridge table showing the present invention applied thereto and in elevated position ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the device in lowered or non-use position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device as it appears in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device as it appears in Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the invention herein has been illustrated as applying to a bridge-table although this is not intended to be in any way limiting as to the application thereof. The bridge table shown is conventional and is generally indicated by the numeral l. The table may have the usual top 2 and side members 3 to which the legs 4 are pivotally secured at each corner by means such as the screws 5. One of the customary links which permit folding of the legs 4 and which may be extended to hold the legs in upright position is indicated by the numeral 6.

The device itself which embodies the present invention consists of a plate or disk 1 which may be formed out of any suitable material. For example, the plate I may be stamped out of metal or may be molded and formed of a plastic. This plate or disk 1 is provided with a plurality of openings therethrough. The number of openings through the plate 1 is not material; however, two such openings are illustrated at 8 and 9 in the preferred embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, these openings need not be of the same size or shape as long as they are capable of receiving and holding articles, such as tumblers, ash trays and the like.

A small loop I0 is formed on the underside of the plate 1 and adjacent one edge thereof. If the plate 1 is stamped from metal, then this loop NJ may be formed simultaneously with the forming of the openings 8 and 9. If desired, however, the loop l0 may be formed of separate strips of material and welded or otherwise suitably secured to the underside of the plate 1.

A hinge member II is also secured along one edge of the plate 7 and is adapted to be secured to the underside of the side members 3 by means such as the screws I2. The other wing l3 of the hinge member is preferably secured to the underside of the plate 1 in any suitable manner, such as by welding or riveting thereto. The structure itself then consists of the plate I having suitable openings, such as 8 and 9 therethrough,, the loop II] on the underside of the plate and the hinge I I attached along one edge thereof. The device thus far described may be easily and quickly attached to the underside of a bridge table adjacent the corner thereof, and if desired, there may be as many as four such devices attached to the table, one at each corner so that each of the players will have an individual receptacle for his own use.

The hinge H will permit each plate 7 to be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 2 where it will be out of the way and may be retained on the table when it is folded. The plate I may also be pivoted about the hinge to the elevated position, shown in Fig. l, and may be supported in this position by the supporting link 14. The preferred form of this support It consists of a length of wire having one end thereof looped to form an eye as at. Hi. This end of the support it may then be attached to the leg of the table by means of the screw it. The opposite end of the support M is then bent outwardly to form a stop ii and again downwardly to form the end portion 18 adapted to be received. within the loop or strap l0 when the plate 7 is in elevated position.

When the device is not in use the plate 1 will hang downwardly as in Fig. 2 and the support 14 will also hang downwardly parallel to the leg 4. When the device is brought into use the plate I may be elevated a sufficient distance to permit the end I8 of the support M to be received. by the loop H] on. the underside of the plate. A. slight lowering of the plate 7 will then urge one side of the loop l9 against the stop portion ll of the support M, thereby holding the plate '1' in a sub stantially horizontal plane.

There may be one support Hi attached to each leg of the table for each of the plates 7. t will be evident that the size, shape and number of the openings through the plate 'I may vary considerably without in any way departing from the spiritof the invention. At least one of the openings should be of such size as to receive a tumbler therein, and at least one of the openings should be of such size as to receive an ash tray therein. It Will also be evident that the use of the invention avoids the danger necessarily present when articles, such as tumblers and ash trays, are placed on the top of the table. The fact that a tumbler projects through one of the openings in the plate will make it impossible to tip the tumbler or to knock it on the floor.

While the invention has been described herein as being applied to a bridge table, it will be evident that the device itself may be applied with equal usefulness to other types of tables as well as other articles of furniture, and may even be attached to the wall of a room such as a recreation room. In any event, the invention resides primarily in a receptacle formed of a thin fiat disk which may be folded out of the way when not in use and which may be elevated to a substantially horizontalposition when in use and which may have means associated therewith to support the plate in horizontal position and to permit lowering of the plate out of the way.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts from that disclosed herein without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the attendant advantages thereof, provided however, that such changes iall within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

A rack for use in combination with a folding table wherein each leg folds individually against the table top, comprising a thin flat plate having a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving tumblers and ash trays, a hinge secured along one edge of said plate and to the underside of the table top, a strap on the underside of said plate bent away from said plate intermediate the ends of the strap to provide a recess, a supporting link pivotally mounted on a leg of the table, the outer free end of said link being bent angularly to pro vide one portion to be removably received in said recess and another portion to abut the edge of said strap and support said plate for use. the leg to which said link is attached being foldable when the free end of said link is removed from said recess.

RICHARD J. SHANAHAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re.'12,973 Hendricks June 15, 1909 330,100 Ellyson Nov. 10, 1885 1,456,573 Roberts et a1. May 29, 1923 1,520,579 Knutson et a1 Dec. 23, 1924 1,746,792 Ptastetter May 27, 1927 1,858,857 Huntley May 17, 1932 1,916,619 Johnson July 4, 1933 1,925,083 Hoidn Sept. 5, 1933 1,997,239 Shea Apr. 9, 1935 2,160,990 Sangner June 6, 1939 

